150 Fishes to Celebrate 150 Years
This list is still in progress and being added to weekly. Check back again soon!
150 Fishes to Celebrate 150 Years
In 2020, the American Fisheries Society will celebrate its 150th Anniversary. As part of the celebration, the Society will be calling attention to 150 fishes. We solicited nominations of fishes for the list by the Society’s membership.
The 150 Fishes list is a celebration of the biodiversity of freshwater and marine fishes of North America. These fishes will help tell the story of fish and fisheries of the continent. They may illustrate unique life histories, beauty, conservation issues, and challenges of managing and conserving these animals and their habitats. These fishes represent our native biodiversity, but also illustrates how invasives and our own human nature have had impacts on our aquatic resources. Hence, this list will primarily focus on native species but may include non-natives when they tell a compelling fisheries story. From the stories of these fishes, the Society and the public can learn to better appreciate these amazing natural resources and be challenged to ensure that future generations will be able to experience these fishes in their native settings.
Nomination Process
Fish nominations are now closed.
Circulation Process
The 150 Fishes list will reside at the 150th Anniversary Website, information about individual fish from the list will be circulated through various social media platforms throughout the year.
This list is meant to be a fun for members and informative for the public. It is unlikely we will be able to include all nominations. We acknowledge that every fish has a story. There may be opportunities to discuss all the nominated fishes in the future.
FULL LIST OF NOMINATED FISH
| Catchy Title | "The Bass of the Waterfalls" |
|---|---|
| Common Name of Fish | Shoal Bass |
| Scientific Name of Fish | Micropterus cataractae |
| Image of Fish |  |
| Image Caption and Credit | Shoal Bass (Micropterus cataractae); Photo by Trevor Starks |
| Description of Why This Fish Is Important/Interesting | Sometimes fishing is not as much about the size of the catch, but enjoying the pursuit of the fish. Shoal Bass are the epitome of this statement. They make their living in scenic areas of rivers and streams that are typified by fast-flowing and cascading water amongst bedrock and boulder substrates. Endemic to the Apalachicola River basin of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, the Shoal Bass is one representative of a vast diversity of stream fishes that call the southeastern U.S. home. Unfortunately, fragmentation of free-flowing streams, habitat alteration, and the introduction of several non-native black bass species has led to range loss. Recently, however, anglers and fisheries scientists alike have taken up efforts to increase awareness of the Shoal Bass and other endemic black basses, with the goal of conserving the Shoal Bass – and the unique stream fisheries it supports – for generations to come. |
| Website or Journal Article for More Information | https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fsh.10187 |
| Your Name | Andrew Taylor |